


Eyes Like Fire

by EgoDominusTuus



Series: Like Good Soldiers [2]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Bonding, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Military Property, Pre-Vault, Psychic Bond, Psychic Wolves, Psychic Wolves For Lupercalia, Soldiers need Puppies, Two Survivors AU, WOLFBOND, Wolf Puppies, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 05:01:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5992498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EgoDominusTuus/pseuds/EgoDominusTuus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone always talked about bonding like it was an experience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eyes Like Fire

My father had always told me that no wolf was ever going to bond with me, because I wasn’t worth the time. His own had apparently died in the war, and I had to wonder if that was why he was such a bitter, cruel man. There wasn’t really an excuse for his behavior, but… I had to think that there could be a reason behind it. 

  I didn’t know what it felt like to be bonded to a wolf, but I had heard that having that ripped away from you was like losing a half of your soul-- a lot like how people described being in love. I hadn’t experienced either thing, and my father certainly hadn’t instilled the sensation of adoration into me… so I was going in eager but blind. 

  I didn’t worry about it that much - for some reason, I never had a doubt that I would get a wolf. I could see him in my mind, big and burly, maybe with a black coat.

  That’s probably why finding Seraphina was such a shock to my system.

  Two months into our training, the Privates who hadn’t washed out from the first six weeks (which we liked to refer to as Hell) of stringent training were allowed to meet the wolves, bred and cultivated specifically for the military. Government property, just like us-- so of course they were going to wait to make sure that the men and women who couldn’t hack it didn’t have the privilege of bonding with one of their fine specimens. It would have been a lie to say that I wasn’t anxiously waiting for this moment-- I’d been waiting since we first arrived. Getting through those first weeks of Hell had been nothing, even with my newfound realization that bullies and bastards were everywhere, even the military. When they called us in line and requested that recruits A-K, I found myself secretly pleased with my last name. 

  My eyes instantly raked over the puppies as my squad partition was led to the breeding facility. The registered last name of  _ Francis  _ had me in the first round of Privates to be introduced to the wolves. My eyes instantly raked the rambunctious puppies - they were old enough to be completely away from their mother. Once bonded, we were expected to spend all hours with them, to train them, so make them just as much a part of ourselves as we were expected to make our weapons. My eyes fixated on the largest of the group, a big male, with a white coat. He was gorgeous.

  And when he turned dark eyes to me, I didn’t feel  _ anything.  _

  I frowned, taking a few steps forward to get closer to the pup - maybe it just hadn’t clicked yet. Everyone always talked about bonding like it was an  _ experience,  _ something that you wouldn’t be able to mistake, and you would  never be able to forget. But as my eyes raked over all of the pups in front of me, I was beginning to wonder if perhaps my father was right, after all. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to--

__ A small nudge at my leg caught my attention - the soldiers had been moving out in an orderly fashion to walk through the rows of pups, but one seemed to have slipped by the commands attentions. Amber eyes that glistened like fire caught my own, and for just a moment, I felt like my heart was leaping from my chest… falling forward, and down, and into those sweet, inquisitive hues. It was like a rush of air, coming into my lungs for the very first time; I hadn’t realized that I’d never really understood breathing before… but as she reared up on small, slender legs to tug at my jacket with her sharp little teeth, I could almost feel the scent of sunshine and gunpowder flooding my senses - I could even see a small little smudge of the gray substance against her dark nose, like she’d been playing where she shouldn’t have been.

  She had eyes like fire, and I realized that my entire concept of what kind of wolf I would bond with was being dashed all in that one moment-- just as equally, I realized that I didn’t care, because she was  _ perfect.  _

  “Private Quinn, fall in line.” There was a voice coming somewhere from my side, but I didn’t care. I knelt instead, putting one hand out for the tawny colored pup to sniff. Instead, I felt the warmth of her tongue, and light nips against my fingers. There was an overwhelming sensation building up inside of me, and it was something that I’d never felt before - belonging, perfect and true, completely pure… and the knowledge that the life before me was now connected and invested in my own.

  It was a lot like what people had always described love to be, because I knew that I’d sooner give up my own life than to have the pup in front of me taken away. I stood, and I had her bunched in my arms as I did. She squirmed in my grip, but it was only enough to bring her head up to nuzzle against my neck for a moment before slipping out of my arms. Two steps sent her prancing in front of me-- and like a proud mother, my wolfsister paraded forward, as though to show her littermates and companions that she’d managed to catch the  _ best  _ out of the human bunch. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face, probably the most honest smile that I’d given the entire time that I’d been here. 

  “Private Quinn--”

  A soft, smooth voice cut off the sharp call of the Officer who was calling me to attention. “I don’t think he needs to go through the ranks.” Silas King’s voice seemed amused. “She found him before anyone else got the chance to.” 

  And as though she could understand him in perfect clarity,  _ my wolf  _ looked up into his blue eyes with pride and fierce joy showing through her expressive amber hues. Beside him, his own white wolf, larger than my pup by a few hand spans, tilted her head from side to side curiously. 

  As often happened when Silas spoke, whether his voice was stern and demanding or the soft amusement that it was now, the man beside him gave a curt salute and went back to the structured, orderly procession of Private’s to our left. At my feet, the pup that I had already quietly named Seraphina ( _ like fire _ ) in my head pranced forward and came face to face with the white wolf that I’d heard Silas call Valeriya. 

   Silas gave a small smile, and for just a second I felt my heart thunder hard in my chest, thick on the back of my throat--  _ God, he was beautiful when he smiled.  _

  Both wolves turned curious eyes up to me, and I felt something very close to a blush crawl up my cheeks. 

  “Privates! After you’ve located your wolf, come to the front of the room to get tags and registration.” The call gave me a reason to quickly turn my head from the crimson flush that was crawling up my cheeks, and behind me, I heard Silas speak. 

  “You should go.”  _ Ah, God. I thought only my wolf was supposed to make my heart feel odd.  _

   “Yes, sir.” I managed to give him a slow grin, and turned on my heels. Beside me, Seraphina gave one little yip to Valeriya, and then turned to trot along with me. She caught up to my side quickly, and I felt sharp teeth tug at my pant leg, nearly tripping me up. Already, I could tell that she was completely puzzled as to why I didn’t turn around and go back to where I clearly wanted to be. 

  “That’s not how it works, Fina.” I muttered, a nickname for the name that I hadn’t even spoken aloud spilling out of my lips. 

  If wolves could pout, I could have sworn that she did. 


End file.
